Sign up to get up to 30% off tickets & activities!

Top 10 things to do in Venice

Few cities offer such a wealth of beauty, charm and history as Venice. With so many incredible sights on offer, choosing can be a daunting task. Let us help: here are 10 essential stops that belong on the itinerary of every visit to The Floating City.

Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is Venice’s main boulevard – made of water! Hop on a waterbus, taxi-boat or an iconic gondola and float past the gorgeous historic buildings lining the canal banks.

Doge’s Palace

The wow-factor of the Doge’s Palace's majestic marble exterior is only exceeded by the treasures held within – history buffs and aficionados of classical art will never want to leave.

Saint Mark’s Basilica

The opulent Saint Mark’s Basilica is arguably the jewel in Venice’s crown. With its multi-leveled domes, intricate facades and stunning mosaics, it’s a marvel of Italo-Byzantine architecture.

Bridge of Sighs

When riding a Gondola with your loved one, make sure to pass the Bridge of Sighs – Venetian lore vows that a kiss under the bridge will grant couples eternal love and happiness.

Piazza San Marco

This gigantic public square is the centerpiece of Venice. Napoleon was so taken by the beauty of the architecture, he called Piazza San Marco “the drawing room of Europe.”

Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest and most ravishing bridge across Grand Canal. Get up early to beat the crowds and enjoy the spectacular views at your leisure, you won’t regret it.

Lido di Venezia

Take a breather from the touristic bustle and visit the charming Lido di Venezia. A short boat ride from the center, it’s where some of Venice’s best (and cheapest!) restaurants are hidden.

Teatro La Fenice

You don’t need to be an opera enthusiast to be blown away by the sumptuous Teatro La Fenice, one of the most important and renowned venues in the history of the art.

Torcello

Quiet and picturesque, the island of Torcello is perfect for a relaxing day trip. Make sure to visit the charming basilica and admire the amazing views from its bell tower.

Gallerie dell’Accademia

The Gallerie dell’Accademia contains some of the most illustrious examples of Venetian art. The mere size of the paintings is awe-inspiring – be warned, you may leave with a crick in your neck.

Planning Your Venice Visit

Save money on transport

The way the city is built, you’ll find yourself using the waterbuses (“vaporetti”) a lot more than expected. These trips can eat into your savings if you’re not careful. Bundle tickets are a great way of avoiding nasty surprises. The price of a 12-hour ticket is roughly equivalent to 3 singles and the relative cost keeps dropping for longer periods (tickets are available for up to a week).

Counters are your friends

Eating and drinking can be very expensive in Venice. Bars and restaurants generally charge more for sitting at a table, so a great way of cutting costs is opting for the counter instead. Surcharges vary with some restaurants charging up to 500% in the busiest tourist areas!

Enjoy the view

The view of the entire city from atop the bell tower on Piazza San Marco, which costs 8 EUR, is one of Venice’s most popular attractions. An insider tip is heading over to San Giorgio Maggiore – the view is arguably better and the privilege only costs 3 EUR.

Other Sightseeing Options in Venice

What People Are Saying About Venice

A do-not-miss culturally immersive experience!

We loved getting to cook with Michela. The class was fun, informative and easy to follow for a beginner. Our meal was fantastic and had so many great flavors. We will definitely use what we learned and try to recreate at home! It was also a great experience to talk with and get to know a local in Venice. We felt so welcomed, and got a few great insider tips for where to go and things to do.

Fantasic...fantastic...fantastic...fantastic

Good, but careful with verbal information!

We took the 3 days pass plus Alilagina (airport-cruise terminal-airport). When exchanging vouchers for tickets upon arriving at th airport, I was told we could use the tickets to Sn Marco, and later on finish the trip from San Marco to the cruise terminal. That was not so, we had to buy another ticket at €15.-, so beware!
Otherwise the 3 days vaporetto were excellent! Would buy them again?

Excellent service, transported to within meters of hotel.

We were met at the airport and directed to out water taxi. The service could not have been quicker. Out taxi took us to within meters of our accommodation down some of the narrowest canals which would have been inaccessible to larger craft. We only booked a one way ticket as we were unsure of the quality of service. However should we return, we will book a return passage as, in apartment without internet and printing facilities, we were unable to book easily over the phone.